It's So Complicated
by ThisDivaLovesMattHardy
Summary: I got the idea for this story while I was listening to “It’s So Complicated” by Carolyn Dawn Johnson. Sara can’t decide on what to do about her feelings for Nick, and some of the other CSIs try to help.. May possibly turn into a multichapter fic…?
1. Chapter 1

Title: It's So Complicated.

Summary: I got the idea for this story while I was listening to "It's So Complicated" by Carolyn Dawn Johnson. Sara can't decide on what to do about her feelings for Nick, and some of the other CSIs try to help.. (May possibly turn into a multi-chapter fic…?)

Disclaimer: I don't own anything affiliated with CSI, the song "It's So Complicated", or Carolyn Dawn Johnson. The lyrics to this song can be found on CowboyLyrics, at So Complicated"

**_"It's So Complicated"_**

"Alright, alright, sorry I'm late, guys," CSI Graveyard Shift supervisor Gil Grissom said as he came darting into the break room, where his team sat gathered around a conference table.

"Who's got a calendar? Write this down – Gil Grissom, late for the first time in, what, four years?" Greg said, igniting a buzz of laughter from the rest of the CSIs at the table.

"Enough, Greg," Grissom said impatiently, setting down a stack of file folders he was carrying. "Now.. assignments. Greg, you have a break-in and homicide out in Henderson. Brass'll go with you," he said, gesturing to the homicide captain who had just entered.

"'Bout ready, rookie?" Brass asked him.

"Yeah. Later, guys," Greg said as he stood, took the case file from Grissom, and left.

"Nick, Sara, you've got a double homicide in a suite on the top floor of the Bilagio," Grissom instructed.

"C'mon, I'll drive," Nick said, tapping Sara's shoulder. He stood, took the case file from Grissom, and nodded farewell to the rest of the CSIs. Sara followed suit and followed Nick out.

After Grissom gave Catherine and Warrick their case and quickly departed to get to his own scene, Catherine asked Warrick, "Did you see the look on Sara's face when Grissom told her and Nick they were on the same case?"

"What are you talking about?" Warrick asked, shrugging it off. But he had noticed. How could you not?

Meanwhile, at the Bilagio, Sara Sidle's mind was racing. All she could do was think about him. They'd been at the scene for about an hour and so far she'd collected no evidence, and taken only a few photos.

"Sara? You alright?" Nick asked her as he bagged a brown hair and added it to the pile of numerous evidence bags next to him.

"Huh? Oh… yeah, I'm fine," she replied quietly, her cheeks becoming tinged with the slightest tint of pink.

"Why don't you swab this blood over here while I run the rest of these bags out to the car. We can drop the evidence off at the lab, and by that time shift should be just about over. We won't have enough work to do to pull a double."

"Okay."

So after they dropped the evidence off at the various lab stations, Nick and Sara each headed home to get some rest.

'Why!' Sara demanded of herself mentally as she drove home. 'Why do I act like that around him? Why can't I just say "Nick, I like you"? No.. no… "Nick, I'm in love with you." Why can't I just tell him?' These thoughts were all that coursed through Sara Sidle's mind the rest of that day. She fell asleep on her couch in the early afternoon and dreamt about the wedding at which she became Mrs. Nick Stokes. It was her dream ceremony, with the perfect dress, perfect ceremony, perfect… everything. And then, just as the two had said "I do" and were about to share their first kiss… she woke up. She sighed as she opened up her eyes. Then, there was a knock at the door.

Sara stood, straightened her wrinkled clothes, and walked toward the door. Opening it, she saw Warrick standing there.

"Hey, Sar, what's up?"

"Not much… want to come in?"

"Sure, thanks," he said.

"You wanna tell me what I owe this visit to?"

"Well, I noticed you didn't look very good earlier in shift… what's up?" Warrick asked her.

"It's… it's nothing," she said. "I… I was just tired."

"Sara, come on," he said, a friendly smile on his face. "I had a ton of female friends in high school… who is he?"

"He?" she questioned, with a nervous laugh. "What do you mean, 'Who is he?'" After Warrick gave her an amused smile, she sat down. "It's just so confusing. I mean, I know how I feel about Nick… I just don't know if I can tell him, you know?"

"Well, I know I'm not tellin' him for you, Sara," Warrick said, with another one of those friendly smiles.

"Good! I was gonna say, you better not tell him!"

Warrick laughed, and said, "Well, I gotta jet. Check ya later," he said as her stood and headed out the door.

"Bye, Warrick!" she called after him.

Sara sat for an hour or two thinking about nothing but Nick and what she was going to do. As she flipped up the screen of her laptop she decided she'd talk to Nick at the start of next shift. When she'd connected to the Internet, an instant message popped up on the screen.

WillowDancer3: I was waiting for you to come on.

SanFranSidle10: Hey, Cath, what's up?

WillowDancer3: You didn't look good today… what's up?

SanFranSidle10: I'm just so confused about… someone.

WillowDancer3: What do you mean?

SanFranSidle10: There's someone at the lab… I think – no, I know – that I like more than a friend. I was kind of confused on what to do, but I've thought it over. I think I know what I'm gonna do.

WillowDancer3: Let me guess… Nick?

SanFranSidle10: How… how did you know?

WillowDancer3: You're not the only one he's had that effect on at the lab (if you know what I mean). And.. I just got done talking to him. He feels the same way about you. And Warrick told me that Nick told him the same thing.

SanFranSidle10: Seriously? Wow… not I really really really don't know if I can tell him!

WillowDancer3: Sara, he likes you. You like him. Just tell him!

SanFranSidle10: Yeah, maybe you're right. Thanks, Catherine.

WillowDancer3: Not a problem.

And with that, Sara logged off.

About a week later, Sara walked into CSI to find a few people gathered around a bulletin board. Upon walking over, she discovered that a sign had been posted. It read:

CSI Christmas Party

This Friday – 7:00 pm

Tangiers Hotel Banquet Room

After a minute or two, the small crowd had dissipated, but Sara remained where she was. Then – it hit her. She'd try and get to slow dance with Nick, then explain how she feels. With a content smile on her face, she walked to her office and began to work.

About an hour late, Warrick walked in. "Sara, I need to talk to you…"

"Umm… sure. Why not?"

Warrick closed the door behind him. "There's something you need to know… something about Nick."

"Oh, no need to worry, I've figured out when I'm gonna tell him – at the Christmas party," Sara said.

"Yeah… about that… Sara, he's got a date."

"W-w-what?"

"Nick's got a date for this Friday's Christmas party," Warrick said.

" Are – are – are you serious?"

"Yeah. He met her a few days ago. I'm sorry, Sar," he said, placing a hand gently on her shoulder.

"It – it – it's fine, no big deal…"

That Friday night, Sara walked into the banquet room at the Tangiers hotel. She was wearing a knee-length black dress, black heels, a silver cross on a thin chain, and a pair of diamond stud earrings. After hanging her coat in the entrance hall, Sara walked into where the party and dance floor were. She got herself a glass of punch and headed off to find some of the other graveyard shift CSIs. She was making her way through the crowd when there was a hand on her shoulder. She turned to find Nick there.

"Hey. Wanna dance?"

"I thought you had a… a date?" Sara said.

"Well, I do. But I wanted to dance with my really good friend."

"Alright… why not?" she said, the smallest hint of a smile grazing her face as he took her hand and led her onto the dance floor.

About midway through the song, Sara lifted her head to look at him. "Nick, can I tell you something?"

"Sure. What is it, Sar?"

"We've been friends for a long time, right?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, lately I've come to realize something. I realized that I like – no, I love you. Every time you come around I feel a… a connection. I know it could never work between us, but I just had to tell you how I feel," she said. Then she turned and hurried off through the people crowded on the dance floor.

"Oh… my…" Nick muttered as he watched her depart. Then when his consciousness got back up to full speed, he hurried after her. "Sara! Wait!" he called.

The end…. Or is it?

Please read and review! Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2

Nick caught up with Sara just outside the Tangiers hotel. She wouldn't stop just by him calling her, so he reached out and grabbed her hand.

"Sara! Please! Wait!"

She turned around to face him. "What?"

"I – I think we should talk."

"So… talk. I've already told you my side."

"Let's go for a walk," he said, offering her his hand. She took it, entwining her fingers with his. Just as they started to walk, a woman came rushing out of the front doors of the hotel.

"Hey! Nick! There you are!" she said as she approached the pair. Her name was Madison Johnson, a woman of about 5' 7" with red hair. When her eyes fell on Sara, Madison turned to Nick again. "Who is _she_?"

"Sara Sidle, and you are?" Sara said, raising her hand to indicate her presence.

Nick, sensing the growing tension, stepped in. "Sara and I work together. We were just going to go for a walk. I'll talk to you later, Maddie."

"No, I'll do better than later. How about never again?" Madison said, then turned on her heel and stormed off.

"Nick, I… I didn't mean…" Sara said, but her voice trailed as Nick took her hand again. As they began to walk, hand in hand, he began to speak.

"Sara… Sara… I don't know if I want to _deny_ these… these…" he paused, searching his mind for the right words. "I don't know if I want to or if I should deny these feelings that I'm experiencing. I know that I think of you as more than a friend, but…"

"I know that I must have taken you by complete surprise when I told you what I did tonight," she said, and he could only nod. "Maybe we should take a break, so you can thing. I have Monday and Tuesday next week off, so I won't talk to you till I come back to the lab."

"But…"

"Nick, you need time. I understand. I've felt that way before. Plus, I've waited almost five and a half years to talk to you about this, why can't I wait a few more days, right?" With a slight, gentle squeeze of his hand Sara walked to the curb and flagged down a cab. As she slid into the back seat she glanced back at him. "See you later, Nick."

As the yellow car drove away, Nick Stokes stood on that suburban Las Vegas sidewalk, feeling very much bewildered and confused.

Sara went home. She believed, truly and with all her heart, that Nick would come around now that he knew how she felt. But there was always that chance that he wouldn't. 'No,' she told herself, 'no. He will come to see. We'll be together, and it'll be great…'

Nick was in a sort of daze all the way home. Sara loved him. She actually loved him… it was so hard to believe. He'd known she was special, but he'd never thought it'd go this far. This was the first time that he could remember not knowing what to do about a relationship. Trying to get his mind off the situation, Nick sat on his couch, turned on his laptop, and turned the TV to ESPN. SportsCenter was on, and highlights of the Packers/Vikings game were showing.

Soon after, his cell phone rang. It was Warrick.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Nick, where are you?"

"I'm at home... er... I got kind of bored at the party."

"Oh, well we just left and we're going out for pizza. Want to come with us?" Warrick asked.

"Um… nah, that's okay. You guys go on ahead," Nick said.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, yeah."

"Okay. Later."

"See you."

Nick set the phone down and turned back to the TV, where NBA preseason highlights were showing now. He watched them as his computer connected to the Internet. A few seconds later an instant message from one of Nick's old high school friends popped up. Nick turned to the keyboard and became engrossed, however fully, into the conversation.

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Yes, I know, very short. I was/am in the process of writing what I want to come next and I had no way to connect it to chapter 1... but this came to me while I was taking a test on _The Old Man And The Sea_ (Ernest Hemingway), so I decided to connect chapters 1 and 3 this way.

Please R & R! Thanks much!


	3. Chapter 3

NOTE: I do not own Kenny Chesney (though I wish I did, that would be great… xD), any of his songs, ESPN, any of their programming, or anything else affiliated with Kenny Chesney or CSI.

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Next up on ESPN was the World Series of Poker. Nick picked up the remote and turned the channel to CMT. The video for "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems" had just ended, and a commercial for Kenny Chesney's "Somewhere In The Sun" tour had come on. As he waited for a website to load Nick read the upcoming venues: Green Bay, Madison, Denver, Salt Lake City… Las Vegas. "That's in two weeks," Nick muttered, "I wonder if…" There was an idea forming in the back of his mind, but even he wasn't sure about what it was. He went back to his computer, logged on to Kenny Chesney's official website, and somehow stumbled upon a number to contact Holly Gleason, Chesney's publicist. He wrote the number down and glanced at the digital clock at the bottom of the screen. 11:15. Nick closed his laptop, and set the scrap of paper on top of it. He walked to his bedroom, changed clothes, and crawled into bed. He sighed as he rolled over on his side and slowly fell asleep.

The next day, Nick woke up, his plan completely formed in his mind. After he'd showered and dressed, he returned to the living room. He grabbed the piece of paper from his computer. Picking up the phone, he started to dial, but decided he should probably make sure he had tickets to the show first. Nick hung up the phone, picked it back up again, and dialed another number.

"TicketStar Las Vegas, this is Kate, how may I help you?" answered a friendly woman's voice.

"What are the best seats left for the Kenny Chesney show?" Nick asked.

"Um, let me see," the woman replied. "There are two seats available, sixth row, right side of the stage."

"Great. I'll take them."

"Okay, would you like to pay for them over the phone?"

"Yes, please, by credit card."

Five minutes later, Nick picked up the phone again and began to dial the publicist's number.

"Hello, Holly Gleason speaking."

"Hi, my name is Nick Stokes," he began. Then, he proceeded to explain the special connection that he and Sara shared, and asked if there was any way to arrange for something special on the night of the concert.

"Well, you sound very sincere. I'm meeting with Kenny in an hour… I'll tell him what you told me, and see what I can do."

"Thank you so much."

"No problem, Mr. Stokes, have a good day. Bye, now," she said, and hung up the phone.

Now all he had to do was wait for a call. Nick sat outside on a front porch swing, staring up into the clear blue sky. He was thinking, about her… about Sara. She was the one woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Without her, he didn't feel quite complete. A song ran slowly through his head, though it seemed as though it would have a faster melody; **'Staring' out into the wild blue yonder, so many thoughts to sit and ponder 'bout life and love and the lack of, and this emptiness in my heart…'**

Two hours later Nick stood in his kitchen making himself a sandwich when the telephone rang.

"Hello."

"Nick Stokes?" asked a man's voice.

"Speaking. Who's this?" Nick asked.

"I'm Kenny Chesney. I think you talked to Holly, my publicist, before?"

"Yes. Wow, thank you for calling me back so soon. There's this girl in my life that means absolutely everything to me. I need a way to surprise her, and I was wondering if there was something that I could do at your concert here in Vegas," Nick replied.

"She's that special, huh?" Kenny said.

"Yes. Totally."

"Well, I'm really happy for you. That kind of love is something very special and extremely valuable. I'll tell you what," Kenny replied, and he went on to tell Nick what he could plan to do.

When he finished, Nick said, "Wow! That's great! Thank you so much, I can't tell you how much this means to me!"

"Glad I could help. Congratulations, and I'll see you in two weeks," Kenny said.

"Again, thank you so much! Goodbye."

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"Really? Upgraded? Great!" Pause. "So we're al set, then?" Nick said into his cell phone as he sat in the break room after shift. "Okay, awesome, thanks."

"Who was that, Nicky?" Sara asked as she grabbed a cup of coffee and sat next to him.

"Oh, no one."

"Okay…" Sara said, raising an eyebrow and looking at him skeptically.

"Hey, I got front row tickets to a concert next Friday night… do you want to go with me?" Nick asked her.

"Who's playing?"

"Kenny Chesney."

"Oh.. er.. sure, why not?" Try as she might, Sara couldn't say no to Nick, especially when he was smiling at her… and he was now.

"Great. I'll be at your place at six next Friday."

"Awesome."

On the day of the concert, Sara was increasingly nervous. She'd never heard any of Kenny Chesney's songs, only the few she'd downloaded last night. Now, she was going to a concert where she knew almost none of the music… oh, joy.

At six o'clock sharp that night, Sara's doorbell rang, and she knew it was Nick. He was always punctual. She opened the door and let him in.

"Hey," Nick said. "Is that what you're wearing?"

"Yeah," Sara said, "Why?" She was wearing one-and-a-half-inch heeled boots, a knee-length skirt, a red halter-top, and her hair was pulled back.

"Can I see what other clothes you have?"

"Err…. Sure, follow me," Sara said, and led him to the bedroom. Nick began rummaging through the drawers and the closet. A few minutes later, he turned to her with a pile of clothes in his hands. He was holding a pair of blue jeans and an everyday, run of the mill t-shirt.

"Put this on, keep those shoes, and let your hair down," Nick told her.

"Why?"

"For me?" he said, giving her his very saddest puppy eyes.

She laughed, and rolled her eyes. "Okay." She snatched the clothes from his hands and darted into the bathroom to change. A minute later, she came back out. "What do you think?"

Nick stood and walked to her. "You look so good I could… kiss you!" He gave her a kiss on the cheek, like a little boy would to his mother. They both started to laugh. He took a look at his watch. Quarter after six.

"We'd better get going, show starts at seven."

Soon after, when they were in Nick's Tahoe, Sara spoke. "Nick, listen, about the party last week…"

"I've been thinking. I'll talk to you about it, but let's just go to the concert tonight, okay?" he said, and put a hand on her shoulder. "As friends."

She smiled. He'd been thinking about her. "Okay, sounds good."

Twenty-five minutes later, Nick and Sara were sitting in their front row seats. An hour and a half passed while the opening acts, Phil Vassar and Miranda Lambert, were playing.

After Vassar was through his show and the stage sets were changed, a DJ from a local radio station walked on stage. Everyone started cheering, and the DJ began to speak.

"You guys ready to party!" Cheers. "It gives me great pleasure to ask you to please welcome Kenny Chesney!" A roar from the crowd went up as the lights went down. Smoke clouded the stage and thunder could be heard as "Live Those Songs" began to play. A spotlight cast the silhouette of the singer through the huge curtain that hung in front of the stage as the lyrics began. "I saw him sitting' on a sidewalk in Fresno, braided hair and a tie-dye t-shirt on, talking to himself about Vietnam, 'bout the tour he did and the deal he got…" The large curtain dropped and there he was: Kenny Chesney. Sara waved to him, and he waved back. She couldn't help but grin. He was almost as hot as Nick… almost. She sang along with the next few songs, but how she had no idea.

About halfway through the show, the music stopped, except for a light piano melody in the background. Kenny stood at center stage, right in front of Nick and Sara.

"You know, every now and then a love comes along that means everything to two people. When that happens, it's truly special. I talk to a guy on the phone a couple days ago, a guy who's here tonight. He's got that kind of love in his life right now. C'mon up here, Nick," Kenny said, and Nick climbed up on stage. "Take it away," Kenny said as he handed Nick the microphone.

"Thanks, Kenny. There's someone very, very special to me here tonight, someone that I really, really care about. She's one of my best friends in the whole wide world, and now I want to make her more than that." He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a small black box. Then, he dropped to one knee at the edge of the stage. "Sara, I love you with all of my heart, and I always will. Would you do me a great honor, and be my wife?" he asked, eyes welling with tears.

At the same time, tears streamed down Sara's cheeks. "Oh, Nick…" she cried, "of course! Oh, I love you so much!" She hugged him tightly, and he pulled her up by him. As they embraced, music began to play.

'**Ordinary, no,**

**Really don't think so,**

**Not a love this true.**

**Common destiny,**

**We were meant to be,**

**Me and you…**

**Like a perfect scene **

**From a movie screen**

**We're a dream come true.**

**Suited perfectly for eternity**

**Me and you**

**Every day I need you even more**

**And the nighttime, too**

**There's no way I could ever let you go**

**Even if I wanted to…**

**Every day I live I try my best to give all I have to you**

**Thank the stars above that we share this love**

**Me and you**

**Ordinary, no,**

**Really don't think so,**

**Just a precious few ever make it last**

**Get as lucky as…**

**Me and you**

**Me and you…'**

Sara looked up at Nick, her eyes gleaming, then she leaned up and kissed him. He returned the kiss, placing one hand on her cheek. Nick put his arm around her shoulders and she placed her around waist.

Kenny turned the microphone off. "Good luck, guys. And congratulations." He shook Nick's hand and hugged Sara. Nick and Sara walked off stage hand-in-hand, teary-eyed and completely in love, to the congratulatory cheers of the twenty-thousand-plus people in the arena.


End file.
